Alaska senator re-elected via write-in

Nov. 18, 2010 12:00 AMWire services

History, the GOP, the "tea party," Sarah Palin and her own mouthful of a name worked against her. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski conquered them all, becoming the first Senate candidate in more than 50 years to win a write-in campaign.

The victory is a remarkable comeback for Murkowski, who lost to political newcomer Joe Miller in the GOP primary, and a humbling moment for Palin, the former Alaska governor, 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate and Murkowski nemesis whose support was not enough to get Miller through an election in her own backyard.

The outcome became clear after a tedious week of counting handwritten ballots. Alaska election officials confirmed they had only about 700 votes left to count, with Murkowski ahead by 10,400 votes. Miller has challenged 8,153 of the ballots counted for Murkowski, but he would still be behind even if he won every challenge.

- The personal wealth of members of Congress collectively increased 16 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to a study Wednesday by the Center for Responsive Politics.

In the House, the study found, median wealth grew to $765,010, up from $645,503 in 2008. In the Senate, median wealth grew from $2.27 million in 2008 to $2.38 million in 2009.

Researchers at the center also identified 251 millionaires in Congress.